A Simple Mission
by Svetocha
Summary: Lucy accepts a simple solo mission; only things are not as they appear. Who sent the request? Who is watching Lucy? Adventure, Romance, Danger, and New Friends are all in store for Lucy.
1. Chapter 1

_**Hey Svetocha here with a new story. If you're reading Something New From Something Old (Soul Eater) have no fear I have not given up on it, and I hope to update it soon.  
**_

_**This is my first Fairy Tail fanfic and only my second fanfic ever so be nice if the characters are a little... off. Speaking of the characters I DO NOT OWN FAIRY TAIL. If I did there would be more romance and less Natsu. **_

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Lucy wandered into the loud guild hall wondering if the other members of her team were back from their individual missions. She had gotten sick and while she recovered her team split up to go on missions alone, Erza, or with someone new, Grey and Juvia. Natsu and Happy went on a mission together but they make up their own category. After a week of nothing but sleep and soup Lucy was healthy and back at full strength. She was also poor. Her landlady had actually threatened to kick her out –this morning as she'd left for the guild hall- if she didn't pay her rent soon. Not seeing any of her teammates Lucy figured she'd try her hand at a solo mission and went to look at the request board.

MiraJane was putting up new requests when Lucy walked over. "Hi Mira, anything good come in?"

Mira looked surprised to see the blonde Celestial mage. "How are you feeling Lucy?"

Lucy smiled at the silver haired Takeover mage, "I'm great; ready for a mission. Desperate for a mission actually," the blonde admitted.

"In that case," Mira said while pulling a request off the board, "this one is perfect for you." She handed Lucy the paper the headed toward the bar. "Let me know if you decide to take it."

Lucy looked down at the request in her hand and started reading.

**Seeking:**

**Someone organized with an interest in literature.**

**For:**

**A time consuming task; may require several weeks of work**

**Reward:**

**900,000 jewels + 1 Celestial Key**

**May lead to further work with equal rewards**

'900,000 jewels?!' Lucy thought, 'I could pay my rent no problem with that kind of money. I wonder who made the request. It just says, **"The way will be revealed to the one who accepts."** Hmm… But how can I say no to that reward?'

"I'm sure it will be fine," Lucy mutters out loud to herself as she walks over to Mira at the bar. "I'm going to accept this mission Mira."

Mira smiles as she gives Lucy approval. "Good luck Lucy," she calls out as the spirit mage slips out the door.

He sat quietly at a table, watching the busty blonde pick out a solo mission. He watched as the barmaid pointed out a likely request then walk away. Awe, suspicion, excitement, and determination all flitted across her features as he watched her read. He knew she would take the request. A smile pulled at his mouth but he quickly schooled his features. Standing he made his way to the guild hall doors and out into the oppressive summer heat. It didn't matter if he left first; he knew she would head home to pack. Eyeing the quickly sinking sun he thought she may even wait until tomorrow morning to leave town. It didn't matter, he would be waiting. Sooner or later the blonde would be alone and far from home and he would be waiting to make his move. Sooner or later he would have her right where he wanted her. And then his fun would begin.

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_**I hope you have enjoyed the first chapter of A Simple Mission. **_

_**Oh and s****peaking of Natsu, (I did up top) this is NOT a NaLu (sorry I kind of hate him). I have purposely left off the pairings (for now). I want to build to that and give people a chance to guess; which you can be through reviews and pms. Please, Please, Please do not be afraid to R&R. I like hearing from my readers, no matter what they have to say.**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**So I was trying to hold out** **posting this chapter but I'm weak. I don't you all to get too use to updates every 5 days because well I know me and this quick turn around probably won't last long. I will try my hardest though.**_

_**I DO NOT OWN Fairy Tail.**_

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Lucy was eager to leave but was not sure where she was going. She decided to go ahead and pack then head down to the train station. _'Maybe I will find some inspiration there.'_ Her travel bag was packed and she was walking out her door in under 15 minutes. She knew it would be a quick walk but decided to call on Plue to keep her company. "Open gate of Canis Minor: Nikora!" she called out with a slight flourish of his silver key.

There was a puff of smoke and then, "Pu-Puun."

"Well what do you think Plue? Where should we go?" Lucy asked as the duo walked into the train station 5 minutes later. She pulled the request paper out as she settled on a bench with Plue in her lap. She quickly read over the request again, hoping she had missed something. Finding nothing she started to fold the page when she noticed some writing on the back. Flipping the page over, she read the one word written there. It turned out to actually be a place, Crocus. "Well I guess now we know where we are going." Lucy spoke to Plue as she folded the paper into a square. Standing she shoved the square in a rear pocket, then, carrying Plue on a hip; she picked up her bag and proceeded to the ticket counter.

"Where to?" asked the lady behind the counter.

That is when Lucy remembered she was broke. _'How am I going to even get to this job? I can't afford a train ticket, what if I need to spend the night at an Inn? I cannot afford that!'_ She face palmed at her stupidity and started to turn away. _'How did I let it get this bad? I am so broke I can't even afford to go on a mission so that I can keep living.'_

The lady, noticing Lucy's guild mark, asked "are you going on a request?"

"I was going to," replied and distressed Lucy, "but I'm broke."

"Where were you headed?"

"Crocus."

"It just so happens that I have a prepaid ticket for Crocus here; with a note saying that it is for a Fairy Tail mage. Maybe it is meant for you." Sliding the ticket across the counter to Lucy she smiles. "Have a pleasant trip and good luck," she adds pleasantly.

Lucy was dumbfounded and would have stood there all day just staring at the ticket if at that moment an announcement had not gone out to board the Southwest bound train to Crocus. Hearing that it would be leaving in 5 minutes she quickly snatched up the ticket, gave a little wave, and hurried off to catch her train.

:)

He quickly made his way to his house to grab his small pack. Even with the detour he made it to her street in time to watch her call out her little dog spirit. He followed her, keeping a slight distance between them, and watched her balance on the ledge of the canal wall. Men in boats out on the canal would call out to her to be careful that she not fall in, but no one noticed him. It was like he was invisible, and he liked it that way. It made it easier for him to watch the blonde.

Once he reached the station he heard her talking to the trembling spirit, and then to the woman at the ticket counter. The conversations did not matter to him. He just needed to know where she was going so that he could buy his ticket. When he heard how broke she was he could not help the slight smirk that pulled at a corner of his mouth. It was too perfect -for him- that she was in such desperate straits. It would make it that much easier to take advantage of her. _'Soon,'_ he thought, _'soon you will be mine and you will know fear and pain and, oh yes, even pleasure unlike any you have ever known before.'_

With no time to spare he bought his ticket and boarded the train just as it was leaving the station. He settled into an empty seat and relaxed. He knew that the ride to Crocus would be a long one and unless she jumped from the moving train –but then, why would she- she could not escape from him.

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_**The happy face is cause it wouldn't leave my spacer and I wouldn't allow just an extra space.**_

_**I know that this is another short chapter but that just happens to be where the chapter ended. Plus I'm updating quicker. YAY! Haven't had very many responses to the story yet but the ones I did get are positive… I think.**_

_**Natto'n'aliens: I'm glad you didn't let a little thing like being unable to login keep you from commenting. Okay so maybe hate is a strong word choice and the better choice would be annoys. You know the way a bug bite decides to become itchy in the middle of the night when you are trying to sleep or the way a fresh sunburn or tattoo itches but as soon as you try to scratch it all you feel is a burning pain. The (fictional) boy has got a smoken bod I'll give him that but he's just so stupid and he is always causing Lucy problems. He's her best friend and a brother like figure, at least that's how I see him, -I don't really get the stories where they are more than that- so that is the role he will play in this story –if he makes it in at all.**_

_**JessJess3377: It kills the story for me too. I mean how am I suppose to be all romance and support when I'm reading what (in my mind) is basically incest. I just can't do it.**_

_**Does that incest bit seem a bit much? Oh well, it is how I feel. Enjoy and Review. Favorite and Follow.  
**_


	3. Chapter 3

**I know it's been a little but that's why I don't give a specific timeline. Please don't hate me too much.**

**I do not own Fairy Tail, but that would be awesome.**

**TS= time skip**

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As she always did when traveling alone Lucy slept, albeit fitfully. Her rest was plagued by the nightmarish memories she suppressed during the day.

~dream~

Her body screamed in pain as he hit her again and she crashed into the wall. For a moment she wished she could just lay there on the floor; she could just give up and let him kill her. She doubted he would even notice if she did die. Instead she climbed to her feet once more. _'I cannot give up. Not after everything everyone has done to help me.'_ Another hit sent her flying across the room. Her head slammed into something solid and she felt a warm sticky substance trickle down her face just before everything went dark.

~end~

Lucy fell off the padded bench seat she was using as a bed, her knees striking against the hard floor of the train. Kneeling there Lucy took a moment to remember everything that had happened; Phantom Lords attack, saving Loke, the Tower of Heaven and almost losing Erza, and then Laxus attacked and broke Gramps' heart. We barely had time to breathe before Oracion Seis became a nuisance. Wendy joined Fairy Tail but it came at a high price, just like always. Then there was what happened in Edolas. She was happy for Mira and Elfman, really she was, but that did not mean Lucy had to like the youngest Strauss sibling. Lisanna, as far as Lucy could tell, was just a useless attention grubber, and if she kept giving Lucy dirty looks every time Natsu paid any attention to her she was going to deck the white haired mage. Lisanna could have Natsu for all Lucy cared. Sighing Lucy pushed herself to her feet and her memories into a dark corner.

"Next stop Crocus. Five Minutes. Next stop Crocus."

Lucy quickly gathered her bag. Then, checking her hip for her whip and keys, prepared to disembark.

*TS*

After stepping off the train Lucy was once again unsure of where to go. She felt a momentary flash of fear as she realized she was alone in a city she did not know without any money. The fear was short lived though, as suddenly Lucy felt a strange magical pull.

Crocus train station was at the southernmost point of the city; to the north Crocus; to the east the Crocus Mountains to the south, open fields, and to the west the northernmost part of a mountain range known as Bloody Peaks. It was to these peaks that she felt drawn.

Suddenly Lucy remembered how she had known to travel to Crocus. She pulled the request form from her back pocket. After unfolding it she flipped it over. Written there on the back was the word **CROCUS**, but now below it was written **WEST**. _'Looks like I will be walking from here.'_

_*POV~_

Sitting behind his desk the man could not keep the grin from pulling at his lips. His plan might actually work. According to his spy, who he had just talked to via communication lacrima, the girl was falling –well walking- into place. The celestial mage was on her way, having just arrived in Crocus, and soon she would be within his grasp.

He could recall meeting the blonde mage only once but he could not stop thinking about her. At first he simply watched, from a distance, through his spies.

Mostly his spies kept him informed on her personal life. Like the brief crush she'd had on the Ice Make mage Gray. It did not last long and died fully the day she walked in on Gray with his icicle buried deep inside Juvia. This led to a more sibling like relationship with the ice mage and a good friendship with the water mage.

However his spies also kept him updated on her magical progress. He was impressed by her defeat of Bickslow the day of the Fantasia parade. What made him even more excited was her victory over another celestial mage, Angel, which gained her three new Zodiac Spirit Keys, Aries, Scorpio, and Gemini.

Now he was no longer satisfied with watching. He had let her go once before but now she would be his. He decided that no matter what it took, no matter what he had to do or say, he would get her to stay with him.

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**Also I have a poll for this story posted on my profile you should go check it out. Another thing, take a couple minutes and jot down what you think of the story so far, what you think could be better, even any mistakes you notice. R&R **

**oh and I know it's short but I'm doing what I can.**


	4. Chapter 4

_**If you read my other story SNFSO then you now know I have ADD and have been off my meds for some time, well I am now back on them and feeling productive.**_

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He couldn't believe his luck. He thought he was going to have to lure her out of the city and into the surrounding mountains, but as soon as he stepped off the train he saw her walking away from the city. _'This just keeps getting better,'_ he thought as he took off after her.

:)

In his excitement he never noticed the woman watching Lucy. He never noticed the glint of sunlight striking her glasses as she tucked the communications lacrima into her purse. Most importantly he didn't notice her frown when she caught sight of him following the blonde mage.

:)

The pull got stronger the closer she came to the base of the mountain. It pushed Lucy on even though she was hot and tired. _'At least now I know for sure that it is a key. But what is a key doing all the way out here? Maybe someone lost it and is looking for it?'_

:)

30 minutes later Lucy was standing outside a cave. She could tell that the key was inside the cave but she was hesitant about going in. It was, however, getting darker the longer Lucy hesitated, and that meant it was getting colder. Finally she gave in and entered the cave. At first it was dark but as she walked farther back she noticed a slight glow coming from the ceiling, as though someone had placed glow-in-the-dark stars up there. Eventually she made it to the rear of the cave and she set down her bag. Looking around Lucy took in the space. It was a large chamber with smooth rock walls. Off to her left were two springs, one had steam rising from it while the other was crystal clear. Lucy dipped her hand in the steaming spring and found it was hot but not scalding; dipping a hand in the second pool of water Lucy found it was cold. She lifted a handful to her mouth, it tasted clean and fresh –perfect drinking water.

She was sweaty and sore from the long walk to the cave from the station, so Lucy decided to take advantage of the hot spring. Stripping down she pulled her hair up into a messy bun to keep it dry. She slipped into the hot water and sighed when she felt her muscles begin to relax. Just under the water was a natural seat; she settled there to allow the water to flow over her. As she sat there she yawned; leaning her head back she promised herself she wouldn't stay in too long. It wasn't long before she was lulled to sleep.

~Dream~

She was lying in the grass looking up at the night sky. One by one the constellations lit up; Taurus, Cancer, Aquarius, Virgo, Sagittarius, Leo, Aries, Gemini, and Scorpio. When a new one lit up she was momentarily confused. _'I don't know that one. How do I not know that one?'_ The view changed, showing a more concrete image in the stars. It was a scepter, part chain part scales. Finally Lucy recognized the constellation; Sceptrum et Manus Iustitiae.

~End~

Lucy woke up sputtering. She had fallen off the seat and into the middle of the small pool. Setting her feet down one brushed against something. It wasn't rock and it wasn't attached, she could push it around with her foot. Taking a breath she ducked under the surface and wrapped her fingers around what felt like a key. Breaking the water's surface she held the object tight in her hand and climbed out of the hot spring.

Walking over to her bag she pulled out a large shirt and dropped it over her head. Finally she opened her fist. _'It is a key.'_ Looking it over she noticed it was, more or less, shaped like a scepter. The majority of it was shaped into chain links with a small part at the tip resembling lizard scales. _'Sceptrum et Manus Iustitiae.'_ Turning it over in her hand she thought, _'this key must be really old. Sceptrum isn't even a recognized constellation anymore.'_

Lucy yawned again and decided she could wait until tomorrow to summon Sceptrum.

**(AN: Sceptrum et Manus Iustitiae will be called Sceptrum from this point on except when the full name must be used.)**

:)

He spent the night on a ledge above the entrance to the cave. She had no idea he was there. He could hear her strip and step into the pool of water. She did not know he was picturing her body, naked and wet, as she bathed herself. He imagined her hands sliding over her large firm breasts, across her flat tummy, and down her full hips before running up the inside of her spread thighs. He cursed as he felt himself getting hard. Suddenly he heard her splashing and had to smile as she woke up with her head under water. The distraction allowed him to focus on other things and finally his erection dissipated. He concentrated on her again and heard her soft even breathing, she was asleep. Only then did he allow his own eyes to close and dreams to take him.

:)

Back in Crocus a pretty brunette was stressed. _'What should I do? If I don't tell him about this and something happens to Lucy I'm dead, but if I do tell him he might do something stupid and ruin his chances. Ugh, why was that stupid dragon slayer following her anyway. It didn't look like they were together. Shit! What do I do?'_

:)

Morning came and Lucy woke with a rumbling in her belly. After dressing in dark blue jean shorts and a light pink tank top she pulled an apple and an empty water bottle from her pack. She filled the bottle with water from the cold spring then shouldering her bag she started walking towards the mouth of the cave. She finished her apple and tossed the core before pulling out Sceptrum's key.

Brandishing the key Lucy called out in a bold voice, "I am the person who connects the road to the celestial spirit world. Thou shalt respond to the calling and pass through the gate. Open a door to Sceptrum et Manus Iustitiae: Scepter and Hand of Justice."

**(AN: I borrowed this from the manga. Volume 1 Chapter 4: Stellar Spirit of the Canis Minor. Link is at the bottom.)**

… Nothing…

"Open a door to the Sceptrum et Manus Iustitiae: Scepter and Hand of Justice!" Lucy cried out once more.

… Still nothing…

"What the hell?!"

Frustrated she tried several more times, with the same results, before she quit.

"This sucks! But I need to keep moving. I have no idea where I'm going or how long it's going to take me to get there but I'll never get anywhere if I don't get going." With no other options she stuffed the key into a pocket and headed towards the forest in the distance.

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_**Double update. Well technically, cause I updated my other story Something New From Something Old (SNFSO) a Soul Eater story -you should go read it.**_

_**I don't usually use in story AN's, I don't like them but I felt those two were necessary. Here is the link I mentioned: **_

_**As always I do not own Fairy Tail, or anything really, oh wait I do own Sceptrum the key. A little background on Sceptrum. The constellation was created in 1679 by Augustin Royer but didn't really last, the name is long and in Latin does it really surprise anyone that it didn't stick. Anyway now it is a part of Andromeda (chains) and Lacerta (lizard). Yay history.**_

_**I hope you enjoy this chapter, I think it's my longest Simple Mission chapter to date even without all this extra crap. After you have finished reading PLEASE take a moment to review.**_

_**Oh and the smiley faces are just dividers.**_


	5. Chapter 5

**_Are you ready for this?_**

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The sun was beating down on her bare head and shoulders from its spot directly above her. The accompanying heat was nearly unbearable and had Lucy's skin glistening with sweat. Her water bottle was nearly empty by the time she made it to the large shade trees of the forest. Once under the cooler canopy she continued walking a ways. Lucy hoped she could find a stream or lake without too much difficulty. So far she wasn't having any luck. When she finally decided to rest for a while she was in a small clearing with a very old, very large tree at its center. Some of the trees roots were raised from the ground creating a small hollowed out space underneath.

Lucy pushed her bag through the followed. It was cooler down in the little hideaway and she was exhausted from the long trek under the overbearing sun. Lucy was soon asleep.

~Dream~

She was running. She wasn't sure from what but she knew she had to keep going forward. Suddenly she found herself sprawled in the dirt. Lifting her head she was now nose to muzzle with a large, red-gold cat. The lioness moved forward and gently nuzzled her cheek before turning its attention over her shoulder and bearing its massive teeth. It sprang over her prone figure chasing aster some unknown adversary.

Gaining her knees she sat back on her heels and looked around. She no longer felt the frantic urge to run. Out of the bushes to her left padded a large, orange-gold lion followed quickly by the smaller lioness from before. _'There is something familiar about this lion.'_ In a sudden puff of smoke the lion became Loke.

Everything started to dim, then a voice came out of the darkness. "By my call I summon you forth. With my blood I bind you."

~End~

Lucy's head thunked against a tree root as she tried to jerk upright, momentarily forgetting where she was. "Oww…" Rubbing her head she pushed her bag ahead of her as she climbed out from under the tree.

The sun had sunk in the sky but she still had plenty of daylight to look forward to. As she started off again Lucy felt a magical twinge. She instinctively followed it, allowing her mind to wander back over the dream she had. _'By my call I summon you forth. That sounds like something you might say to call a spirit, but what was with that second part? With my blood I bind you. It sounds primitive; I mean nothing takes blood anymore, at least nothing good. Why was Loke there? Who was the lioness?'_

Lucy was pulled from her musings when she tripped and fell face first to the ground. She was able to break her fall with her hands and when she glanced up she found herself staring at the lake she had been looking for.

:)

'_I lost her. How the fuck did I lose her? I'm a fucking dragon slayer for fucks sake.'_ He was fuming. He had lost his prey in the forest. One minute she was there, sleeping under some tree so he decided it was a good time to hunt down some food, but when he got back she was gone. The strong scent of pomegranate had been dulled by her bath in the hot spring, but her natural scent had been easy to follow. Now all he could smell was the earth and his catch. He had no choice, he would just have to hope she made her presence known before his plans went up in smoke.

"Damn!"

:)

Lucy once again dropped her pack the considered the lake in front of her. _'A bath sounds lovely, but there is still so much daylight. If I tried I could probably make it out of the forest before nightfall.'_ Lucy eyed the inviting water then thought about walking several more hours that day. The lake won.

After double checking to make sure she was alone Lucy stepped out of her clothes. She walked to the edge of the lake and stuck one foot in before quickly pulling it back. "C..cold." She shivered but knew what she had to do. Lucy back tracked then took a running leap into the ice cold water. She knew only total submergence was the quickest way to get use to the water. Luckily further out the water was warmer and Lucy was able to enjoy herself.

:)

Splash!

'_Well that was easy.'_

:)

Lucy was floating in the middle of the lake when she heard a noise. Her body tensed and she went under. Coming back up she heard a distinct sound.

"Gihi."

Spinning around Lucy saw him on the bank next to her clothes. "Gajeel? What are you doing here?"

"I came to see you, Bunny girl." His gaze lowered to the water's surface.

She crossed her arms over her chest, trying to cover her nudity. "Would you mind turning away so I can get out?"

"Actually I do mind." At her confused look he continued. "You see, the last time I took my eyes off of you you escaped me. I can't let that happen again. Now come on and get out of the water, or else…" He made it an order with the implied threat.

Lucy knew what he was capable of. So much had happened since then but none of that other stuff had left her with nightmares. "I think I'll stay right where I am at." Her voice trembled. "I think you should leave."

"Tsk tsk, wrong answer Bunny girl." He fired an iron pole at her.

Lucy dodged, barely. Remembering that her keys were on shore she started looking around for a weapon. This was nearly impossible to do on the surface however because a) it was water, and b) Gajeel was firing a steady stream of projectiles at her. _'At least he hasn't made any move to actually come in the water.'_ She made the realization that she would need to search on the lake floor for a weapon just as one of Gajeel's missiles clipped her left arm. She screamed and grabbed her arm. Whatever had hit her had been sharp and her arm was bleeding freely.

Lucy took a deep breath and dove. The lake wasn't very deep but she was still required to hold her breath while searching along the sandy bottom. Just as her air was running out her hand brushed something metal; she grabbed it, hoping for a knife of some kind.

When she surfaced Gajeel was gone. She slowly swam to shore, keeping a wary eye on the tree line. She got dressed as quickly as she could but her left arm still throbbed and bled. She went to hold the wound only to press the key in her hand to it. It stung and Lucy pulled her hand away to look at the key.

It was a rusty brown color with what appeared to be ears at the base with a tail wrapped around the handle. The words from Lucy's dream came to mind and without thinking she called them out. "By my call I summon you forth. With my blood I bind you: Leo Minor!"

'_Why did I…'_ but the thought was cut off by a flare of red smoke. Glancing down, the key in her hand was now a vibrant blood red.

A softly spoken, "Doamna," swiftly brought her head up.

Standing in front of her was a girl, no older than 7, with flame red hair and eyes a perfect mixture of blue, green, and brown. She was wearing the most adorable dress –light pink with white lace at the collar, sleeves, and bottom hem- which hit at just about the knees. She wore white ruffled ankle socks and pink shoes. Her hair fell around her face and shoulders in a curly cloud, held back by a single ribbon tied into a bow off to the side of her head.

Now that the girl had Lucy's attention she carried on. "Doamna, I am Anastasia, the little lioness. Do you know where my aniki is?"

* * *

_**I do not own Fairy Tail.**_

_**So now we all know Gajeel is the one who has been following Lucy, but it looks like he's the bad guy. What do you all think about that? Then there's the mysterious request maker, any ideas who he might be?**_

_**Anastasia is what I named Leo Minor, Lucy's new key. What do you guys think of her?**_

_**Doamna= Mistress**_

_**Aniki= Big Brother**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**While I was writing this chapter it didn't seem very long but it was kind of heavy. Then I typed it and it was over 1400 words. So this chapter is long and heavy... Sorry.**_

* * *

"Gihi. Bunny girl sure does have a nice body." Gajeel was walking back to his camp after the attack. _'Wonder how long it will take her to realize they are missing.'_ He spun her keys on his finger. "Gihi."

:)

"Damnit." Lucy franticly searched through her stuff again but she knew they weren't there. "That iron bastard stole my keys. Urgh!"

"I will keep you safe Doamna. I am bound to you and will remain by your side until your death."

The soft words drew Lucy's eye back to the little girl.

"Doamna, won't you let me bind your injury?"

Lucy nodded, she didn't fully understand how she had summoned the girl spirit but she set that aside for the moment. "You asked if I knew your aniki. Who would that be exactly?"

The girl, _'What did she say her name was again? Ava… Ara… Anastasia!'_ smiled sweetly while gently bandaging my arm. "Leo of course; he's the best aniki," her voice got sad, "except he left me alone in the red darkness." She laughed a child's laugh. "Now that I have my Doamna I don't have to go back to that place. Will you save the others too?"

Lucy had sat quietly while Anastasia spoke and now she stared stunned. _'This girl is Loke's imouto? What's the red darkness and why did Loke leave her there? Who are these others?'_

:)

Several hours later Lucy found herself settled comfortably against the giant tree she had previously napped under with a nice fire burning in front of her; across from her, on the other side of the fire, sat her new spirit.

"I never knew Loke had any family. I mean, I was not aware there was a Leo Minor key." Lucy took a calming breath while Ana, as she had insisted on being called, stared steadily at her. "I have so many questions but first maybe you should tell me more about you."

The spirits gaze finally dropped. "My key was once held by a very powerful mage. He had all of us, aniki and his Zodiac friends, the Black key, Ophiuchus, all the Silver keys, plus all the Blood keys."

'_Blood Keys?'_ Lucy's confusion must have shown on her face.

"There are… were, ten Blood keys. As our name suggests it takes blood to summon us. Once we've been summoned we are bound to the one who summoned us and will serve them until they die. If they have children we will be passed to the child with Celestial magic. If none do we wait until a direct blood descendent is born that can wield us. If our Maestru or Doamna dies without children our keys are once again scattered."

Lucy hesitantly interrupted, "you said _were_ ten."

Ana sighed, "Our Maestru was power hungry. He had all the known keys of his time but he still craved more. He tried merging Apis with another constellation, to make her more powerful, and ended up destroying her. Felis was devoured when Maestru used him as bait to capture the great Hydra. Testudo was absorbed into Pisces. Maestru went crazy and the Spirit King took us all away, breaking our bonds, and scattered us across both the known and unknown lands."

Lucy shivered; she couldn't imagine having her friends taken from her, her contracts with them broken. Of course if this guy had really done all that, hurt his spirits to make himself stronger, she was glad they were saved before more could be destroyed. "So what happened after the keys were scattered?"

Ana stoked the fire, mistaking Lucy's shiver for being cold. "Years passed; quickly at first. Some of my nakama found new Maestru, but they always returned. Then time slowed down for us; we had been forgotten." She looked so sad Lucy couldn't help but to reach out to her. Ana smiled brightly as she clasped Lucy's hand, "but now there is you, Doamna. You found me so there must be something special about you. You can find the others."

Suddenly Lucy remembered Sceptrum. She jumped up and rushed to her bag, hoping the key was still in the pocket of her discarded shorts. "I think I already did." Lucy pulled the key out and brought it to Ana at the fire. "Sceptrum et Manus Iustitiae; I tried summoning him earlier but nothing happened. Now that I know some keys need blood I can try again." Lucy was excited. She wanted to help the spirits that had been lost for so long, reunite them with old friends.

Ana smiled but was shaking her head. "Sceptrum is a very special case. You see, Sceptrum is a thing, not a being. You need to find the one who wields Sceptrum first, only they can summon it."

Lucy was confused again. "You're telling me that this key, this inanimate object that is the catalyst of my magic and that usually brings forth living beings, actually summons an inanimate object?"

"More like it transforms, when in the right hands," Ana replied with a giggle.

Lucy leaned forward eagerly, "so who…"

"It's late," Ana cut her off, "you've had a long day. Tomorrow we will talk more and get aniki and the others back from that man."

Lucy's head cocked to the side as she realized something. "I don't feel any magical drain. How is that possible? You've been out for hours."

"You finally noticed." Ana clapped her hands gleefully. "I, and all the blood keys, do not rely on your magic."

"What?!"

"The blood you use when you first summon one of us is a sacrifice, one we take very seriously. Your blood gives us physical form, life if you will, and in return we swear to protect you always. If we draw on your magic to protect you it weakens you, and that puts you in danger, making our vow and your sacrifice pointless."

"Wow. So say I collect all seven Blood keys; I could call out all of them plus my Zodiac or Silver keys and only have to worry about the magic they draw from me?"

"Even better," Ana was so excited at this point she was literally bouncing in her seat. "You can make blood bonds with your Zodiac and Silver keys once you have all the Blood keys." Ana's face took on a serious look, "You would have to get their consent first though, since a blood bond has the potential to last for many generations. Believe it or not but not all spirits want that. You don't have to ask any of us Blood keys because it is a choice we made when we first became spirits; we expect to be bound to one bloodline for as long as it lasts."

Ana's face told Lucy she didn't understand how any spirit could turn that down. Honestly Lucy didn't understand it either. _'Unless they are treated poorly, then I could understand. To think, I could have the ultimate bond with my friends. I know a lot of them worry about how much magic I use when I have to call several of them at any given time. This could alleviate their worries. I would gladly sacrifice a little blood to allow them to not worry so much.'_

Ana's voice broke through Lucy's thoughts, "for now you should sleep. I'll watch over you, so no worried."

'_She's right,'_ Lucy thought, _'I am exhausted.'_ "Okay, I'll go to bed," she conceded, "but tomorrow you tell me about the others." Lucy lay down with her bag for a pillow and a jacket for a blanket and was soon fast asleep.

Anastasia watched as her Doamna's body and face relaxed, her breaths coming slow and even, it was peaceful. "Tomorrow I'll do better than tell you about the others; I'll help you find them. You will need them, their strength, for what is coming."

:)

"What do you mean Gajeel is following Lucy?!" The long haired man was losing his usual calm demeanor. "If something happens to her _we_ are the ones that will be punished!"

"Right after he kills Gajeel you mean." Four child-like voices echoed the second speaker, "Kills, kills."

"So you both think we should tell him." The woman sighed and adjusted her spectacles. "I suppose I agree. Very well, we shall tell him." She pulled out her communications lacrima and focused her thoughts. Before long she was looking into the scarred but handsome face of their leader.

"What?" he growled.

When the woman didn't say anything the long haired man took the lacrima from her. "There is something you need to know, Laxus."

* * *

_****__**I do not own Fairy Tail or the constellations.**_

_****__**That's right folks we now have a Lalu, sort of. It's kind of a one sided love at the moment ain't it? Mawhahaha.**_

_**I've got another little history lesson for you:  
**_

_**Apis (the bee) was 'found' in 1598 by Petrus Plancius, and eventually merged with other constellations until it bacame Musca.**_

_**Felis (the cat) was created as a joke in 1799 by Jerome Lalande and at some point just vanished from the sky maps.**_

_**Testudo (the tortoise) was split from Pisces in 1754 by John Hill but then was re-merged at a later date.**_

_**aniki: big brother**_

_**imouto: little sister**_

_**Doamna: mistress**_

_**Maestru: master**_

_**If you have questions or comments, either about the story or my sanity, don't be afraid to leave a review. In fact I encourage it.**_

_**Thank You**_


	7. Chapter 7

He was watching her from his spot hidden among the foliage as he planned his next move. _'Where did that little girl come from?'_ Gajeel could tell she was on high alert, her gaze constantly scanning her surroundings, ears perked for any noise. _'Damn, this complicates things.'_ He was distracted from his thoughts when Bunny Girl rolled onto her side, facing him. Looking at her he wanted to groan. She was wearing a pink strappy dress thing, only it was short, really short. He licked his lips, hoping she'd maybe wiggle a little, to give those huge tits a chance to escape the low cut top. Then she did, she shifter, her tits stayed in place however. Wheat was revealed was her equally pink lace panties. Gajeel moaned as his cock began to harden. He tried, unsuccessfully, to pull his eyes away from the smooth unblemished skin of her thighs. As he shifted his position he allowed his eyes to close and his imagination to take over.

~Fantasy~

She was bound, hand and foot, gagged and blindfolded, lying unconscious at his feet. He lifted her arms up over her head and attached them to a rope flung over a high, thick branch. Once it was secured he started pulling the loose end of the rope, slowly hoisting her up right. He continued pulling until she was barely able to touch the ground with the tips of her toes.

Gajeel stepped back to admire his handy work. _'She looks fabulous,'_ he thought, blood surging through his veins. _'But she'll look even better after I get her naked. Then I can really have some fun.'_

Her dress was held up by two handy little bows that, when tugged loose, allowed the clothing to puddle at her feet. His hands itched to feel the weight of her, now freed, breasts. Gajeel denied himself, preferring his play things be awake for his kinky fuckery.

Luckily he didn't have long to wait before the blonde stirred in her bonds. He let her struggle for a moment before walking up behind her. "Struggle all you want, little bunny, you aren't going anywhere." He said as he moved to stand in front of her, his hands brushing against the small of her back, her hip, and coming to rest on her stomach. "I want to be able to see what you are feeling in those expressive eyes of yours as we play." He explained as he deftly untied the knot holding her blindfold in place. He watched as the fear and confusion flitted across her face, lingering in her eyes.

He moves a bit away to admire the sight of her as full awareness came to her. She shivers as a chilly breeze blew over her exposed body, causing her nipples to pucker and harden. _'She's surprisingly quiet. Wonder if I can change that.'_

Her eyes widen as he approaches. His hand starts on her hip, playing with the lace on her panties. His fingers drifted over her smooth skin to her bellybutton. He splayed his hand wide, palm flat, and moved his hand upward.

Lucy still didn't make a sound.

When his fingertips brushed the underside of her breasts he used both hands to cup her. His fingers lightly massaged her, slowly increasing the pressure. He rolled her erect nipples gently between thumb and forefinger before giving them a little pull.

Lucy made a low moaning sound in her throat. _'Finally.'_

Gajeel abandoned her rack, hands moving upward, pushing over her shoulders and into the hair at the back of her neck. Leaning forward his lips brushed her ear as he spoke. "I'm going to remove this," he pulled the gag from her mouth, "so that I can hear every little sound you make. All of your moans and groans, your begging and pleading, and especially your screams."

Lucy gasped, Gajeel smirked.

Gajeel's hand moved back to her hip; his fingers slipping under the waistband, tensing…

"Kyaa!"

~Fantasy Interrupted~

Ana was uneasy. She could feel someone watching them but could not determine where they were watching from. There was a sudden increase to the tension in the area, and her Doamna shifted uncomfortably in her sleep.

Ana sighed, _'I wish there was something more I could do to help Doamna. The thing she needs most right now is her keys back, but I can't get them back without leaving Doamna unprotected.'_ She shook her head. _'No, that isn't an option. That man could have hidden her keys and if I go looking for them he could sneak back here and hurt Doamna. What does he want with her anyway? From what I saw it looked like he was trying to hurt her, but then why did he run? Did he expect Doamna to chase after him?'_ "Grr, this is so frustrating."

:)

Lucy woke suddenly, eyes flying open. Unsure of what had woken her she closed her eyes and tried to think, remember. "Kyaa!"

Ana jumped, startled, her eyes quickly running over her Doamna and determining that she was, physically, fine. "What's wrong?" she asked, concerned.

"My keys; I can feel them close by," Lucy explained. "Hey, metal head, give me back my keys! They aren't edible you know!" she shouted angrily. "He's close Ana; we just have to find him."

* * *

_**Sorry this is so late. I've been super busy. I've been job hunting for a while now -with no luck- then I started reading Fifty Shades, plus I'm moving so I've been packing. Anyway I got this chappy typed up and figured I'd better post it.**_

_**Read, Enjoy, Review.**_

_**Oh yeah and I do not own Fairy Tail or any of its characters, just sweet little Ana.**_

_**And the story has been bumped up to M, for Gajeel -such a dirty boy-, so just keep that in mind. **_


	8. Chapter 8

'_Shit!'_ Gajeel quickly but quietly sat up. He pulled the keys from his pocket and notices that a couple of them are glowing softly. _'Fuck! I sincerely hope I get the chance to kick their asses someday.' _He sets the keys on the ground and starts to move away. He can hear Bunny Girl and her little friend getting closer; luckily they don't have his hearing.

:)

"Found 'em!" Lucy shouts. The keys are in her hands for less than a second when there is a slight poof and a cloud of gold smoke appears in front of her.

"Princess," Loke says from his perfectly executed bow. As he rises his eyes fall on a spot just over Lucy's shoulder and his smile falters. "How? When?" The words tumble from his lips as he stares, dumfounded at the sight before him.

"Aniki," Ana whispers before darting forward to embrace her long lost sibling.

:)

Lucy had wanted to linger, let the two lions spend some time together while she checked on the rest of her friends, but after a very emotional, very short, embrace Loke went back to the spirit realm and Ana insisted we get moving. So here she was, climbing a fucking mountain. At first she thought Ana was crazy, the way she pointed at the steep rock face and said, "We need to climb this mountain." But now Lucy could feel the magical pull and was doing everything she could to make sure she didn't fall. Her quick reflexes, a rare outcropping, and her skill with a whip had already saved her once, about halfway up –a fall that most likely would have killed her- she didn't want to test her luck a second time now that they were so close.

Finally she reached a ledge and pulled herself onto the narrow rock. "Ana?" Lucy called out. _'Where did Ana go?'_ She lifted her head to see Ana standing in the mouth of a cave. _'Great, another cave,'_ Lucy pushed to her feet and followed her spirit into the dark opening. The pull got stronger the deeper they went, until suddenly it disappeared. Lucy glanced around and spotted a small chest. It was wooden, its clasps appeared rusted but it opened easily at her touch. Inside laid a rust colored key and a handful of precious stones.

"Damn," she said with a low whistle as she removed the stones -an emerald, several smallish diamonds, and a ruby the size of her palm. As she removed the key the chest crumbled into dust, as though the magical energy of the key was the only thing holding it together.

"Who is it?" Ana asked quietly, her excitement only barely contained.

Lucy stowed the gems in her bag then examined the key closely. The tip had three separate heads, dog or wolf. Each head was connected to a serpent like body, the bodies twisted together until they became one, creating the handle. _'Hmm…'_ Lucy tapped her finger against her lips. _'Three become one… Dog/wolf heads… Snake like bodies…'_

"Well?" Ana was impatiently waiting.

"Kerberos; it has to be. That's the only one I can think of that matches." Lucy looked at Ana expectantly.

"Well?!" Ana asked excitedly. "Aren't you going to summon it?"

Lucy nodded. "Yeah. Umm… By my call… Wait, I need blood." Looking around she walked over to the wall.

Ana stopped her, "Wait! Is your shoulder still bleeding? I'd rather you didn't injure yourself needlessly."

Lucy's eyes widened, she had forgotten about her shoulder –probably because it didn't hurt. "Oh yeah, I had forgotten." Carefully she removed the bandage. The wound had scabbed over so she scraped part of it off with her nail. Part of the wound opened back up and started a slow bleed. She pressed her palm over the blood then took the key in her hand again. "By my call I summon you forth Kerberos!"

* * *

_**Hi everyone, it's been a while hasn't it. I'm sorry about that. A lot has been happening. I finished moving but only just started unpacking everything. I found a job that I truly love, but I work 745 am to sometimes as late as 600 pm. I work with children so by the time I get home at night I am exhausted. I did finally find my story book, you may or may not have read that I lost it while packing up my room at the old house, and so I was able to finish writing and typing this chapter. It's a short one and I probably could have continued writing, but I felt you guys had already waited long enough.  
**_

_**I have posted a poll on my profile. I've kind of lost my way with the pairing on this story. The concept was originally a LaLu with the villain being Gajeel, but now he isn't feeling so much like a villain as a man in love with no experience showing his feelings except through violence -or something like that. So yeah, go vote or leave me a review with your opinion.**_

_**Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoy the story. Don't forget to leave a review. And I will hopefully have this updated sooner rather than later. **_

_**I do not own Fairy Tail or any of it's characters, just Ana and Sceptrum, and Kerberos -the keys/spirits, not the constellations.**_


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